CHARGERS: Turnover mars Mathews' return

SAN DIEGO ---- There have never been any doubts about Ryan Mathews' talent and athleticism. But since he first pulled on a Chargers uniform, after they traded up to the No. 12 position in the 2010 NFL Draft to take him, questions have buzzed about his ability to protect the ball and handle the physical challenge of playing in the league.

Certainly, when Mathews suffered a broken clavicle on his first carry of the preseason, it reignited debate about his physical toughness.

And events that transpired in his return to the field Sunday ---- in the Chargers' 27-3 loss to Atlanta at Qualcomm Stadium ---- will surely inspire critics to again turn their attention to Mathews' fumbling issues. Those issues go back to his rookie year when he fumbled in each of his first two games.

Mathew's red zone fumble early the second quarter on Sunday, with the Chargers trailing 6-0, cost them a golden scoring opportunity. It also launched a game-defining 96-yard, 7-minute, 59-second scoring drive for the Falcons.

"When you're down in there, and it's a six-point game, and you have a chance to get point and you don't get them," Chargers coach Norv Turner said, "obviously that is critical."

Mathews finished the game with 44 yards on 10 carries and a respectable 4.4-yards per carry. He was the team's leading receiver with five receptions for another 32 yards. He powered through two tacklers for 10 yards and a first down after catching a screen pass on the Chargers' first possession.

But the "critical" fumble in the second quarter, forced by Falcons linebacker Sean Witherspoon (the 19th pick in that 2010 draft), was a red flag that is hard to ignore.

"I was fighting for more yards," Mathews explained.

Witherspoon forced the ball out just as Mathews' knee was hitting the ground, prompting a video review. But the fumble call stood.

"I was going down and trying to get the extra yard, and the ball came in front of me," Mathews said. "And he put his helmet on it, and the ball came out. Stuff like that happens, and I've just got to be more aware of instead of trying to get that extra yard, just go down."

Quarterback Philip Rivers threw two interceptions, one deep in his own territory when he tried to feed a third-down pass to Antonio Gates with 295-pound nose tackle Peria Jerry breathing down his neck. That gave Atlanta a short field, which led to a touchdown just before halftime to make it 20-0.

Dante Rosario also coughed up the ball on a fumble in the red zone late in the game.

By the fourth quarter, Mathews found himself a sideline observer as Jackie Battle and Curtis Brinkley shared the load at running back.

"We mix guys in," Turner said. "Obviously, I wanted to get him snaps. I wanted to get him caught up with the other guys. But I didn't want to overdo it in terms of his long-term exposure."

Mathews thinks that his competitiveness is a factor in his ball-security problems, and aims to address it.

"I feel like I'm a competitor, and I kind of take it personal when someone tries to tackle me," he said. "And that's my main thing, I just have to get down. I've got to practice on that."